7.12.07

We are living inna time when choice is king. Go anywhere in North America to do any particular thing and you’ll be bombarded with choices. In a recent McDonald’s commercial we see toddlers standing at the order counter staring up at the various food combos in obvious indecision. While this may seem a like boon for some I wonder if in reality it’s more of a curse.

How does indecision affect us, our desires and our vision of how things should be? I have tried, perhaps sometimes a bit halfheartedly, to whittle my life down to a simpler existence. There are times when I do enjoy excess, particularly with food and drink –two social and satisfying pursuits which provide immediate gratification. But that’s not to say that I’m not pulled here and there by desires for other things. A new guitar or surfboard, a new bicycle, a new pair of rain pants and jacket for my bike commute, I could go on but this type of thinking is exactly what causes the problem of want and greed.

What I find most interesting, and I’ve learned this through surfing and skateboarding, is that what brings the most enjoyment is the act achieved by using these things (skateboard or surfboard) that we crave. I’ve learned that the simplest single speed bike brings the most joy out of the riding experience. Hence choice only serves to hinder the path. But there are social pressures to be fashionable, to have the latest and greatest gadget for the most minute of uses. Economics have taught us that specialization is better than being a jack of all trades. Most of us feel more comfortable with a boiled egg slicer than with a chef’s knife. What does that say for our sense of adventure, our intuition and our self reliance?

I say damn it all to hell. Do your push ups in case the end is near. Listen to the music that makes you move and groove or ball like a baby. Wear your favorite jeans day after day. If you wanna paint a painting then get out your paints and brush and do it. This is not a throwback to the sixties be here now mentality. It’s an anti-statement to the status quo of buy here now.

Buy me! Collect me! Accessorize me! Love me, worship my plastic heart! You need me. You deserve me. You’ve worked hard you should be able to spend your money on me if you want. I’ll make you happy. You’ll be the talk of the town if you wear me. The girls will want you.

5 comments:

I agree with you, there's an almost pathological fixation with freedom of choice, whereas I find that freedom is found by actually making a choice.The proactive saying yes to something is hugely empowering.But it is hard to whittle your life down to the essential - the pressure is on.

Its a Catch 22. To escape consumerism, people like us are seeking meaningful thrills through surfing, skateboarding, cycling etc... but to get that experience we are often sucked into my that very consumer mindset. 'Just one more board, the next one will take me to Nirvana...'

I'm telling you, that's why I slimmed things down to a Speedo and swim fins...